In Dreams
by InuAtashi
Summary: Kagome has a rather 'enjoyable' dream about a certain Taiyoukai that doesn't go unnoticed by InuYasha. What will happen next & how will it affect the group & their search for the last shards?
1. Eyes in the Dark

**DISCLAIMER****: I, unfortunately, do not own InuYasha or any of the characters pertaining to the manga/anime. They belong to Rumiko Takahashi. Any original characters, however, belong to me. This story is not intended for individuals under 18 years of age.**

_The Dream_

_Legs spread wide..._

_...fingers entangled in fine strands of hair..._

_...thrust after thrust...sensations heightened..._

_...whispered nonsense that meant nothing & everything all at the same time..._

_...liquid heat spilling forth..._

_'Sesshoumaru'_

_...back arching...hips rolling forward, deeper..._

_...pure ecstasy, penetrating ..._

_...long legs wrap around slender hips..._

_...thrust after thrust...deeper, harder..._

_...flashes of silver, glimpses of blue..._

_' Oh Kami!'_

_...warm ragged breaths...soft, erotic moans..._

_...legs wrap tighter...pace quickens..._

_...a kiss deepens, nails dig into flesh..._

_...an echoing growl, demanding more..._

_'SESSHOUMARU!'_

_...thrust after thrust after __**THRUST**_

_...sparks __**fly**__**white hot stars**__...pure ecstasy, __**radiating**_

**"SESSHOUMARU!!"**

_Azure eyes fly open to find amber ones, illuminated in the dark by the light of the full moon._

"Sesshoumaru..."

Kagome shot upright in her sleeping bag, panting heavily while trying her best to remember where she was. She ran her trembling hands across her face and took a deep, shaky breath. With her hands still resting on her cheeks, she took in her surroundings. To her left was the glowing embers of a campfire and to her right was her yellow backpack, dingy and worn after more than three years of continuous use in Sengoku Jidai. Aware once more of where she was, she glanced around at her sleeping companions.

'Thank Kami they're all still asleep!' Kagome winced inwardly on how embarrasing it would have been had they awoken. She had a funny feeling that her dream wasn't a quiet one.

Miroku, opposite from her, was propped against the base of a large maple tree, his staff resting across his lap. Sango was roughly ten feet to his left snuggled into the sleeping bag that Kagome had given her sometime back. Kirara, in her smaller stature, slept near the foot of the bag with Shippou nestled against her. Apparently, her two tails made for a comfy pillow.

She then glanced over to the tree to her right and immediatly froze! Her widened eyes locked onto golden orbs, reflecting what light was left of the dying campfire. It just made his glare all the more menacing and Kagome instantly developed a pit in her stomach. It was safe to assume that InuYasha had witnessed her dream. It was even safer to assume that he _definetly_ heard the name she cried out. Yeah, she was pretty sure she remembered calling out a certain Inu-youkai lord's name upon awakening.

'OH KAMI, OH KAMI, OH KAMI, OH KAMI!!!! SHIT!!!'

With that, Kagome jumped up, grabbed her pack and took off to the heat spring that wasn't too far from where they were camping. She ran as fast as her legs would carry her, which would never be fast enough to out run the embarrassment she was feeling, among other things. InuYasha continued to stay perched on his branch and watched as she took off, brows furrowed, as conflicting emotions battled within himself...

InuYasha lounged in an old tree, eyes shut and arms crossed over Tetsusaiga, which he held firmly against his chest. Ears flickering around systematically to catch any sounds that might hint to impending danger. He was dozing lightly when he heard Kagome shift in her sleeping bag. Thinking nothing of it, he began to relax further...that's when he heard it. She let out a soft moan, followed by a sharp intake of air. One snow white ear swiveled forward. When she let out another moan, along with a slightly erotic whimper, his other ear shot forward. As he listened to each and every sensual noise she made,he fought the urge to open his eyes.

He quickly lost that battle when a new scent floating through the air hit his nose. His eyes flew open just in time to catch her arching her back in obvious pleasure. The scent was stronger now, richer and completely intoxicating. Amazingly sweet, similar to budding cherry blossoms, but with a spicey edge...he couldn't place exactly what the scent was, but it didn't matter at the moment. All he knew is that it was coming from Kagome and that was fine by him. It was so different from her usual scent of lavender and soft vanilla, but he liked it all the same. Eyes widened slightly when he realized that this was the scent of her arousal...and it was effecting him nicely. He had proof!

He sat up further on the branch. Balancing on his hands and the balls of his feet in his doggy-like squat, he took in everything he was seeing...

' Who is she dreaming about? Could...could she be dreaming of...me?' Although he'd never admit it, the thought of that made his stomach flip-flop. The thought of Kagome reacting like _this_ to a dream about_ him_ made his heart swell. True, he was still trying to sort out his feelings about the whole Kikyou/Kagome issue and it would take even longer to get past her recent death, he knew he loved Kagome more than anyone else in his life. She was his best friend and would possibly be more than that someday, if he could just get over Kikyou. It didn't help matters that the two women favored, and he refused to be romantically involved with Kagome if he couldn't looked at her without being reminded of his old flame.

He was jolted out of his thoughts when he heard her call out his brothers name.

**"SESSHOUMARU!!"**

'WHAT THE _**FUCK**_!?! Did she?? No...she couldn't have!' It wasn't until he heard _that name_ whispered the second time that he was certain his hearing hadn't failed him. He was completely flabbergasted, to say the least. He felt humiliation, ire, dejection, and uncertainty flare up and course through his body like a shockwave. He couldn't move. All he could do was sit there and watch her as she awoke with a start and eventually locked eyes with him. Still, he couldn't move. He couldn't utter a sound. He just sat there and watched as she hopped up and sprinted away.

Kagome stood at the edge of the naturally heated spring. Arms crossed over her chest with her right hand resting against her heart. The cool breeze of the Autumn night swept gently through stray locks of her raven hair. She gazed out across the water at nothing imparticular. She was deep in thought. What had just happened to her had to be the _**most mortifying**_ experiance in her entire life! She prayed that InuYasha had enough sense to stay put in that tree of his...she could not face him right now, which brought up the thought of how she was going to go back at all without dying of heart failure. She had thought of what to say if he decided to question her about her dream. It was blatantly obvious _why_ she called out Sesshoumaru's name, so lying about the reason was out of the question. Besides, Kagome never really liked lying to her friends and was horrible at it anyway.

She wondered how it was going to affect the relationship that she and InuYasha shared. She wasn't really sure how he felt about her lately, she knew he loved her, but to what extent? He had a rough time for quite awhile after Kikyou died. Only recently had he begun to come around to his old self again. She couldn't blame him a bit, though. She could only imagine what it would be like to lose the love of your life for the second time, and in your arms, nontheless. Atleast their parting had been peaceful and Kikyou had died an ordinary woman. Yes, she was thankful for that..for InuYasha's sake. Meanwhile, she had come to terms on how she felt about the hanyou. He was her best friend and she loved him dearly, but she knew she would always be a reminder of what he once had. No matter what, she would be the second choice. The _reincarnation_. She had also noticed during her realization, that the pain she was certain she'd feel never came. Wasn't that saying something? She had once promised him she'd always be by his side, and though that still held true, she now knew it would never be as his mate. Oh, why did life have to be so complicated? Especially hers, which was nowhere near normal.

With a huff, Kagome decided a bath was most definetly in order. She quickly stripped off her pale blue pajamas pants and tugged the matching tank top over her head. She noticed the crescent moon design gracing the front of it as she tossed it to the ground. ' Oh wonderful...' she thought,'...i would have to be wearing _these_ p.j.'s of all nights!' She then slid her lacey, royal blue panties down her long legs and unclasped the matching bra. Putting them aside, she reached into her pack and grabbled her shampoo, conditioner and body wash and stepped forward into the soothing waters of the pool. Setting the bottles on the rock just beside her, she brought her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. Placing her forehead against her knees, she let out a sigh and tried to relax her muscles. The tepid water worked wonders...that is, until she began to think about Sesshoumaru.

'Sesshoumaru.'

She had actually had a dream like that about _him._ An absolutley thrilling dream that she knew would never, _ever_ come to pass. Yet, it seemed so...real. The majority of it was made up of sensations and emotions and it wasn't until the end of it that she saw anything, and that had been his face, his beautiful, perfect face...and his piercing honey colored eyes, which glowed like the moon itself. Just the thought of it again sent chills down her spine. 'Oh Kami, Kagome, get a grip!' And she would definetly have to get a grip _and soon!_

She'd had gotten to know him better, recently, but only just a little bit. You could say it was an improvement that he wasn't trying to kill InuYasha, or her, for that matter, any longer. The battle against Naraku had finally brought the two groups to a decision that working together would benefit them in the long run. So for the last few weeks, they had been in constant company of one another. And for the last week, Kagome would find herself in the sole companionship of the great Taiyoukai when she'd venture off to herself each evening. She didn't know why he decided to start doing that, but for reasons unknown, he had.

The first time it happened, she had wandered off to a river a short walk from where they had set up camp for the night. The sun was low in the horizon and the crickets were beginning to chirp eagerly to the darkening sky. The last fireflies of the year dotted the treeline, blinking in and out of exsistence. In truth, Kagome had decided to take a walk to get away from the annoying and very pointless squablings of Jaken. If that damn imp called her a filthy ningen just one more time, she was sure she'd purify him. How she had managed the previous two weeks, she wasn't sure, but it was nothing short of a miracle. She decided she would have to ask Sesshoumaru his secret at some point.

Just as she had finished that thought, she felt a powerful, yet familiar youkai aura very close by. Before she could even begin to register who it belonged to, there he was in all his glory, standing not two feet from her. She peeked over at him as he stared across the rushing waters of the river. The first thing that entered her mind was how good he smelled. His scent was that of an approaching rainstorm laced with the smell of young evergreens. She had began to notice a long while back that all youkai had distinct scents, which also reflected their physical attributes, power, aswell as age. Sesshoumaru's was tantalizing and definatly made a statement.

Secondly, she wondered what was going through his head at that moment. Then she told herself not to stare, so she once again looked out over the river while trying to figure out exactly what it was that held his attention.

"It would be wise to not wander this far away on your own again. The southern lands are not safe."

She nearly jumped out of her skin at his statement. And how would she respond to that without sounding like a total idiot?!

"Oh, I, uh..will be fine. I have my bow and quiver, so there's no need to worry." 'Oh nice going! I'm such a dumbass, as if he's really gonna worry about me..'

"Hn."

She glanced over at him to see him staring intently at her. Seconds seemed like hours before she looked away. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him face forward once again.

She had to think of something to say, that was atleast a little less _stupid_ than what she had just blurted out.

"May I ask you a question, Sesshoumaru-sama?" She got no response, so she assumed after a few moments,it was safe to procede. " How is it that you're able to be around Jaken day in and day out without killing him?" There, she said it. Now hopefully it wasn't a question that he would find offensive. She didn't feel much like dying today, but as the seconds ticked by without any response, her nerves began to feel a bit more frazzled.

" I have found that a swift kick to his person does wonders for ones' sanity..." With that said, their eyes met once more and Kagome swore she saw merriment flashing in them. She couldn't hold back the smile that graced her lips, then she saw something else flash through his eyes, but it was gone before she could identify it. Whatever it was, was a good thing. That was when Kagome learned that he was not an emotionless demon lord, you just had to know where to look to see that he truly had personality; his eyes...even in the dark.

This time, it was he who looked away first. The next words that came out of his mouth would shock Kagome to no end, though.

"'Sama' is unnessecary. You will call me 'Sesshoumaru.'"

Nobody called his name without the honorific...well, except for InuYasha that is, unless you considered colorful names such as 'bastard' an honorable title. Even Rin lovingly added 'sama' and Kagome didn't ever remember hearing him correct her. So why was she any different? All she could manage was a nod in response to that and after few more minutes, they headed back to camp in comfortable silence.

That was the start of what would become a routine for them, except for tonight. He along with Rin, Jaken and Ah Un had set off to check on his lands the night before and wouldn't return until tomorrow morning. 'Thank Kami, too. I don't know what I would have done had _HE _witnessed my dream, and he wouldn't have missed a thing either!! Damn inu youkai with their delicately perceptive senses!'

Pushing any further thoughts of Sesshoumaru and "the dream" out of her head, she finished bathing and slipped out of the pool to dry off. She slipped on a red set of underwear and a long sleeved cotton night shirt. She would have preffered pajamas, but this was her last clean thing to sleep in. It would have to do. She gathered up her bathing supplies and dirty clothing and stuffed them back into her trusty backpack. She then took a deep, cleansing breath and gingerly headed back to camp. It would truly be the most difficult walk she'd ever have to make. Ten minutes later found her nearing her sleeping bag. Glancing around quickly, she noticed InuYasha was nowwhere to be found. Most likely he was off to himself somewhere, brooding, so as quick as possible, Kagome burrowed into her sleeping bag. Eventually, sleep came to her...her last thoughts were of Sesshoumaru and what tomorrow morning would bring.

**Authors Note**: **So there it is, my first chapter of my first fanfic. FINALLY! This first chapter isn't as long as I would like it to be, but I think it covered everything I wanted it to. This isn't the fanfic I was originally planning on posting, I had to fire the plot bunnies for that one and it's currently floating around in fanfiction limbo. This one just popped up in my head, so I started typing. I haven't spell checked it yet or anything, so any spelling or grammatical errors will be fixed...I just wanted to get this posted. Also, be aware that since this is **_**fiction**_**, it won't follow the manga 100. I will probably change some things to my liking. ;) Reviews and suggestions are MORE than welcome!! The second chapter probably won't be posted till after I move, shouldn't be more than a couple of weeks, though. Hope you guys enjoy!**

** InuAtashi**


	2. Musings of a Taiyoukai Lord

**DISCLAIMER****: I, unfortunately, do not own InuYasha or any of the characters pertaining to the manga/anime. They belong to Rumiko Takahashi. Any original characters, however, belong to me. This story is not intended for individuals under 18 years of age.**

**In Dreams**

**Ch.2- The Musings of a Taiyoukai Lord**

The sky was darkening as nighttime cloaked the Western Lands. The stars were beginning to make themselves known as they twinkled innocently above the horizon. A faint breeze drew the autumn chill closer to the castle walls as it began to settle in for the night. The nip of the developing season did not seem to have any effect on the great Taiyoukai as it caressed his pale skin, for if it did, he made no move to show it. His mind was elsewhere. He stood on his balcony overlooking the rolling hills of his territory, silently chiding himself as he recounted the day's events.

He had returned to his home during the pre_-_dawn hours, a sleeping ward and grumbling charge in tow. They had made excellent time, which would give him an early start on his 'lordly' duties. He was quite please with that fact. The sooner he started, the sooner he would be done with the tedious tasks that accompanied his status. The only part of it all that he was truly able to enjoy was the patrol of his borders. It was time to himself to reflect on the current happenings in his life, as well as an outlet allowing him to vent both his frustrations and annoyances on any demon foolish enough to trespass in his domain. Yes, with such an early arrival he would be done with his insipid duties right away. Then he could set out on his patrol, hopefully, before having to deal with any members of his household. His initial pleasure at their early arrival however had been squashed.

_Earlier that morning..._

Sesshoumaru's energy cloud began to evaporate as soon as his feet touched the earth. He promptly turned towards Ah- Un, focusing his attention on a certain Kappa demon.

"Jaken."

"Y-yes, Milord?"

"Enlighten me. Exactly **what **is the reason for your continuous babble?"

Jaken's saffron eyes bugged out a bit more than usual as he tried to think of the best way to answer his Lord. He could easily be punted across the lawn like a ball or worse, if he was careless with his reply. He glanced quickly at the still sleeping Rin, then gripped his staff tighter and squeaked his response.

"Milord, the girl! S-she _SLOBBERED _on my robe in her sleep! How revolting! I fear it may never smell the same again!"

Sesshoumaru lifted a perfectly arched brow in thought before narrowing his eyes at his small demon charge. 'This Sesshoumaru has seen him covered in the blood and entrails of others numerous times, yet he makes a fuss over a trivial amount of drool?' He sighed inwardly, this was most definitely annoying, but at this time it was not worth the effort of getting upset. Closing his eyes and lightly pinching the bridge of his nose, he responded.

"You will cease this petty bickering as I have no use for a headache today. Now, see to it that Rin makes it to her bedchamber." With that said he lowered his hand and reopened his golden eyes.

Seeing that Jaken had already thrown himself off of Ah-Un and plastered his body to the ground, Sesshoumaru's expression began to harden with his growing annoyance. Memories of his first actual conversation with InuYasha's miko flashed through his mind, the question she had asked concerning the irritating toad lingering.

"Milord! Please, forgive this lowly Jaken! I meant not to upset you! **Please**, I beg of you!" Glancing up at his Master, he paled a sicklier green and his eyes bugged out impossibly further as he froze with fear. At this moment, fear was exactly what he should be feeling while he watched a sinister grin form on the inu-youkai's face.

A grin. It wasn't something that he usually allowed to grace his perfect features, but in thinking of the answer he had given Kagome, it couldn't be helped. It was very appealing. In fact, the appeal was so great that not acting on it would most likely dampen his mood further. So, for sanity's sake, he gracefully kicked Jaken as far as demonly possible without causing any_**serious**_injury. His grin widened somewhat in triumph over his small feat. Suddenly, the thought of Kagome's bright azure eyes and approving smile flickered into mind and he froze. An odd feeling of warmth coursed through his entire body. It fluttered around his heart and then settled in his stomach before fading away altogether. His previous expression had been replaced with one of mild shock.

'What...was...? What is this..._feeling_?' Never before had he had a problem forming a coherent thought. But here he was, struggling within his own head, all because of **her**. He fought the urge to shake it vigorously, feeling foolish to think that it could possibly help to clear the confusion inside. He decided, for the time being, to put all thoughts on the matter out of his head completely. This was neither the time nor the place to think on such things. Replacing his stoic mask once more, he turned to address Jaken for the final time that morning.

"Jaken. Rin will be seen to bed immediately. I will be in my study. I am to be disturbed by no one unless it is absolutely necessary. Be prepared to leave by nightfall."

Without giving his half conscious retainer anytime to respond, he turned and disappeared into the shadows surrounding his abode. Moments later found a still puzzled youkai Lord securing the door to his study. He closed his eyes and rested his forehead against the cool wooden frame. Knowing that he was safely hidden away from the view of others, he let his features soften and the wall that he had built around himself fall away, but only just a little. It bothered him that he had let his superb control falter earlier, but thankful nonetheless that Ah-Un was the only one who would have noticed.

Never before in all his years had he felt a sensation quite like the one he just experienced. It was both amazing and unnerving. **Amazing** because he knew it was possible that the person who sparked such a feeling inside him could show him true happiness, could chase away all the years of loneliness that he never admitted to experiencing. To achieve true happiness and have someone dear to him, _to love and be loved_, was something that Sesshoumaru secretly longed for, but never expected to find. It was **unnerving** as well because if he truly admitted to himself exactly what he had felt, that he had started to take a liking to a certain _someone_, he could be heading down the same path as his father.

He had vowed never to make that mistake. Love of any kind was a weakness. He knew if he pursued this new feeling there was a remote chance of that emotion developing. But what was he thinking? She was a silly ningen girl, a miko, who obviously belonged to his wretched half brother, though it wasn't official. His brother was too much of an idiot and, in his high opinion, had been born that way. To let this feeling become anything more than it already had would be setting himself up for nothing but pain, because there was no way in Hell that someone as pure as Kagome could ever feel anything towards a demon such as himself. He wasn't a fool, he wouldn't deny that it was her that was beginning to awaken something deep inside of him, a spark that was beginning to melt the ice around his heart, but he did have the power to refuse to act on it.

And that was his decision. To never act on his new found emotion, no matter how intense it might become. She would only ever be, at most, a respected ally...and possibly a friend. Even that though, was doubtful. Once more, he confirmed in his mind that nothing more would come of this.

Now that he had that dealt with, he decided to start on his tasks for the day. He walked over to gather the scrolls that had accumulated during his absence and grudgingly went through them. An hour later found him tossing the last paltry scroll to the side of his ornately carved desk. The usually dull task was made almost unbearable this time. Almost every scroll had to be re-read at least once, if not more. His previous thoughts on the miko and the new _**spark**_ had served as a constant distraction. In his opinion, weakness was already rearing its ugly head.

'Damn it all,' he contemplated, while running his clawed fingers delicately through his bangs and then down his silvered tresses. 'What is she doing to me?' Letting out an uncharacteristic sigh, he sat back against his chair. Resting his elbows on the chair's intricately carved arms, he intertwined his fingers and stared upwards. He just sat there, for Kami knows how long, gawking at the ceiling as if the answer would magically drip down from it and land on the crescent moon that graced his forehead.

Kagome had somehow roused his curiosity. Whether it was her pleasant scent, her obvious intelligence and odd little sayings, or merely the fact that she was able to put up with his irritating half brother, he wasn't sure. Maybe it was a combination of all those things. All he knew was that it was curiosity that had caused him to follow her that evening to the river. By the time their short conversation had ended, he was hooked. She had already gained some of his respect, while he watched her during the previous few weeks.

During that time he had noticed some of her better qualities. She was obviously loyal and devoted to her group of friends. She was also courageous and even if she feared something, she still chose to not back down from it. She had a forgiving nature and cared for ningen and youkai alike, even acting as an adoptive mother to the young kitsune within the pack. That was something that he had found intriguing- a miko who fought for youkai just as fiercely as she did her own kind. It was definitely a subject he would eventually like to discuss with her.

This time, Sesshoumaru had become so engrossed in his thoughts about the miko that he hadn't realized dawn was approaching. It wasn't until the bright golden rays began to seep in around the heavy drapes of the room that he finally snapped out of his musings. He could sense the inhabitants of his manor beginning to stir and decided that now was as good a time as any to head out on his patrol. He was in no shape to be dealing with anyone.

_At the present…_

His patrol had been uneventful as always, and he had successfully avoided interaction with anyone in his home, including his servants. The day was finally drawing to a close. He watched the sun slip behind the distant mountains and give way to the moon from where he stood in silent contemplation on his balcony. Any moment now Jaken would be knocking on his door, informing him that all was ready for their departure.

He was mentally scolding himself for letting his thoughts distract him continuously throughout the day. He had managed to finish everything he had set out to do in a timely matter but that was beside the point. Outside the safety of his borders distractions of any kind could prove to be hazardous, especially ones concerning a miko who shouldn't even be inside his head in the first place. But try as he might, he couldn't stop the thoughts of her from invading his mind and drowning out everything else. He was beginning to doubt that he had the self control to avoid her when he returned. How could he when he couldn't even stop thinking of her for more than a few minutes? The more he thought on it, he realized that avoiding her might even make matters worse. He wasn't struggling with this problem while in her presence. This was certainly one hell of a predicament he had gotten himself into.

Just as he expected, there came a knock at his door. The time had come for their departure back to InuYasha and his pack. Back to Kagome and the unknown…

The morning sun was peeking through the slowly dying leaves of the surrounding trees and dancing across Kagome's angelic face, causing her to stir. Times such as these, she wished the sun had a snooze button, or at least a nifty pull string to turn off the invading rays. She was exhausted, having tossed and turned the remainder of the night. There weren't anymore dreams, so she was lucky in that sense at least.

Slowly, her eyes slid open. Thankfully, the early morning light wasn't harsh enough to be much of a shock to her vision. Stretching her tired muscles, she glanced around the camp. There was still no sign of InuYasha. Sango was beginning to stir in her sleeping bag, completely unaware of the lecherous monk smiling at her with that obvious gleam in his eyes. Shippou and Kirara could be heard somewhere off in the distance playing together.

Kagome continued to stretch for a bit longer before sitting up and attempting to rub the sleep from her eyes. Already she knew it was useless. Large doses of caffeine would be nice right about now.

"Ah. Dear Kagome, I trust that you slept well and had pleasant dreams?"

Instantly her head snapped up towards the Houshi. 'Could he know something?' Just as she was about to open her mouth to respond another, obviously irritable, voice floated into the clearing.

"Feh. I dunno about the sleepin' part, but the dreamin' is an understatement if I ever heard one!"

Both heads turned towards the source of that voice, their eyes landing upon the agitated dog eared hanyou. Kagome's eyes widened in a silent plea, asking him to not disclose anything more in front of the monk who suddenly had a much more pronounced gleam to his violet eyes. InuYasha plopped down onto the ground, shoved his arms into his sleeves, and glared at Kagome. They held eye contact, expressions unchanging, until Miroku spoke up.

"Oh? Anything you care to share with us?"

"N-no. I just had a bad dream is all. Funny, I can't even remember anything about it now. I hate it when that happens. For the best, I guess. Sooo…I'm going to go wash my face now." As she hopped up from her place on the ground, she hoped that she didn't sound too edgy. But the fact that she could never lie to save her life made hoping futile. Grabbing her backpack in haste, she made her way once more the hot spring, not even bothering to look back at InuYasha. At this rate, she'd have a path worn down in no time.

Sango, awakening just as Kagome was leaving, stretched her arms above her head as she studied her surroundings. Her eyes fell upon InuYasha and noticed how lost he looked as he sat there, shoulders sagging forward slightly. Something was evidently weighing on him heavily and she wondered what he had done this time. "InuYasha, what are you pouting about this early? Did something happen between you and Kagome?"

"Dammit, I ain't poutin'!" InuYasha spat out. "…and it's none of your business!" He then turned his nose up, closed his eyes, and faced away, signaling that he would say nothing more.

Sango turned to Miroku giving him a questioning look. He shrugged and then shot her a look that rivaled the one he had just received. There was definitely something going on and if history truly repeated itself, they'd find out **something** before too long.

Kagome dropped her pack at the edge of the spring. It amazed her at how much quicker her trips to it were compared to the amount of time it took for her to get back.

Dropping down to her knees, she dug through the canary yellow bag that had the astounding ability to hold each and every one of her possessions, no matter the size, shape, or quantity. She pulled out a pair of stonewashed blue jeans and a deep blue long sleeved top. There was nothing fancy about the clothing. She had bought them on her last trip home, knowing that there was a very good chance of them ending up like so many of her uniforms had in the past; tattered, torn and blood stained. She pulled the cotton night shirt up and over her head with lightning speed for a human, and with equal speed, slid on her jeans and top. Grabbing socks and a pair of white sneakers out of the bag, she threw them on as well.

Finding her facial scrub and a cloth, which happened to be hiding at the very bottom of the backpack, she rolled up her sleeves and began to wash her face. She took her time, reveling in the tingle that the soap created. Once finished, she cupped her hands into the warm water of the pool and lightly splashed the soap from her porcelain skin, careful to not get her newly adorned clothing drenched.

'Why didn't I wash my face before getting dressed? Duh, Kagome, cuz you weren't thinking!' Sighing, she bowed her head, letting gravity guide the remaining water as it traced its way down her face before collecting at the tip of her nose. She watched as the droplets fell from it and back into the safety of the hot spring, distorting her reflection ever so slightly.

She needed to figure out how to deal with this. There was going to be a lot of tension in the group because of her dream, thanks to none other than InuYasha. She began to feel the familiar sensation of her blood boiling at the thought. It was something he was always able to conjure up within her.

'InuYasha no baka! I wish he'd grow up already! He's acting as if I **chose **to have that dream! Like being mad at me is really going to change anything…why can't he ever just _talk_ about what he's feeling?' But the chance of that actually happening was like asking a pig to fly. Communication wasn't one of his better qualities, though he _had_ come along way. And deep down in her heart, she knew that it must have hurt him to witness her dreaming like that. He was acting out like this out of habit, as a means to protect himself. Nobody but her knew just how fragile his heart really was.

She would have to try and talk to him after he cooled off a bit. Though, that could take a while. In the meantime, she'd have to find anther way to get things off her chest.

'I'll talk to Sango about it. She'll be wondering what's going on anyway…especially when Sesshoumaru gets back. Things around here will probably get much tenser.'

There was an audible "pop" as her own hand made contact with her wet face.

"Oh, man. This isn't going to be good."

"And what, may I ask, is not going to be good?" came a familiar baritone voice.

Kagome stilled. She hadn't even _felt _his approach like she usually did. Slowly, she turned and looked up into the gorgeous amber eyes that she had dreamt about only a few hours prior, while he looked expectantly down into hers.

'Kami, he's so beautiful.'

And her heart skipped a beat.

**Author's Note****: This one was a bit more difficult for me. Moving and some other personal stuff served as a constant and VERY annoying distraction. So I want to apologize for getting this out later than what I promised you guys. **

**A huge THANK YOU goes out to SunsetMiko (a.k.a. CMK2CMM) for her help with this story so far. I don't know what I would have done without her advice and greatly appreciate the time she took to give it. Go check out her awesome fan fictions, one in which she just received awards for here: **** THANK YOU to Jackson Mower for pointing out the 'honorific' issue with InuYasha in Ch.1. You can check out his fan fictions here: **


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